The Art of Racing in The Rain by Garth Stein

I have never read a book quite like this one.A friend recommended it as a good “dog” book.I think that is an understatement of what this book is about.The Art of Racing in the Rain (2008) by Garth Stein is a lesson in life.

Set in contemporary Seattle and told from the view point of Enzo, a lab terrier mix, this heart-wrenching and heart-warming story is wonderful.Enzo is humorous and he is brave.He tells the story of his master, Denny, as he falls in love, marries, is widowed, and fights for the one thing that means the most to him – his daughter Zoë.Denny never loses his pride, his honor, or his courage – and neither does Enzo.

Denny is a race car driver by trade and so the novel is full of racing metaphors that are well written.There is kind of a whacky courtroom sequence played out in Enzo’s imagination, but even that is not too bad.

As a dog lover, I had mixed feeling about how Enzo was portrayed – some of his “points of view.”Don’t read this book because it is a “dog” book, read it because it is a lesson in the philosophy of life.